ANZ shock closure leaves Beenleigh businesses reeling
A southeast town, battling a high vacancy rate, has been left reeling after the sudden closure of a major bank, the second in a matter of months.
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The Beenleigh business community is again reeling after the closure of one of its high street banks, months after a nearby branch closed its doors.
ANZ Beenleigh branch sent out letters to select clients late last month telling them it had permanently closed its branch at the Marketplace Shopping Centre in George St, Beenleigh.
The surprise shutdown caught out many businesses and customers, who said they had not expected the closure.
Many were angry after the nearest branch, at Logan’s Hyperdome shopping Centre, shut last year.
ANZ notified Marketplace Centre management on May 28 it would temporarily close the branch for six to eight weeks because coronavirus restrictions limited the number of people inside the branch.
But management were just as surprised as many customers when the bank officially informed the site’s leasing team last week, of the permanent closure.
The branch, which takes up a large slice of the popular Marketplace shopping centre, was officially closed last week but an automatic teller machine is still operating at the front.
It is unknown which business will move into the vacant office.
“They told us they had informed all of their customers,” a Marketplace staff member said.
“They had a strict COVID policy about letting people into the branch and they worked from that.”
ANZ Brisbane West district manager Lara Thomas said the bank reallocated staff from branches, where demand was falling, to centres where demand for hardship services was growing.
“While we won’t be retaining the ATM at Beenleigh, our customers can continue face-to-face banking and use ATMs at the Helensvale and Underwood branches,” she said.
Beenleigh restaurant owner Vanitha Lang said the first she knew of the closure was when she went to make a deposit in late May and the automatic doors would not open.
“There was a notice on the door to say that the branch was temporarily shut during the COVID pandemic,” she said.
“But there has never been any mention of the permanent closure and as a long-time customer of 16 years I was never informed either by email or letter.”
Beenleigh resident Fay Hicks received a letter informing her the branch had already closed.
“The branch had been closing on and off for around two months because of the coronavirus,” she said.
“But when I went last week, a sign on the door just said ‘Closed’ and it was a few days later that I got the letter.
“I would not be surprised if the National Australian Bank nearby in James St is doing the same thing.
“I went there last week to pay a bill and they were open but by the time I left it had shut.
“It wasn’t even midday. A sign on the door said it was temporary.”
Ms Lang, who owns Kastury’s Restaurant opposite the NAB bank in James St, said she knew tradies who had tried to do their banking at NAB but had been turned away.
“Staff have been cut back at the branch or are working from home so it is often closed during regular hours,” she said.
But a NAB spokesman said there were no plans to close the Beenleigh branch in James St and no plans to alter opening times.
She said any recent closures at the branch during the day were temporary.
Three NAB branches have closed in southeast Queensland since January.
Forde MP Bert van Manen, whose office is also on George St, said many elderly Beenleigh residents and small business owners relied on the physical branches for their banking needs.
“The ANZ branch closure is disappointing but it presents an opportunity for customers to back Bendigo Bank, the local community bank branch, which invests 80 per cent of its profits into the community.”